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Right Type of Meditation

How to Meditate?

A simple ten or fifteen-minute breathing meditation can help you to overcome your stress and find some inner peace and balance. Meditation can be practiced at any time of the day, but it is recommended that there be a routine such as early morning or night sessions. The reason for this is we are very habitual creatures and by creating a routine for the mind, it is taught that at a certain time of day is when the ego-mind has to move aside and allow the inner-self or subconscious mind to come forward. The ego-mind is our conscious mind, the one that worries about anything that is materialistic; its concerns are based on fears and expectations. The ego-mind blocks your awareness of who you really are, it draws your attention to your fears and wants. The subconscious mind is your inner-self when drawn forward through meditation, it will give you a sense of who you really are, it will guide you in what you really need. For example, your wordy concerns may be focused on obtaining a home, so you work overtime, to achieve this goal, allowing yourself no free time. The inner-self knows that it requires time out because the mental, emotional, and physical stress placed on the body is excessive, so it will create an illness so that it will have to rest. If this is the case, the ego-mind will have a total reaction of fear for it had created a want of obtaining a house, and becoming ill has hindered this desire. Meditation will bring about a balance between the ego-mind and the inner-self, it will help you gain more insight into your needs and wants, for the two are totally different.

Fitting the right type of meditation into your lifestyle right type of meditation

When you meditate, you clear away the information overload that builds up every day. When your mind is clear of distracting thoughts, you gain new perspectives and new ways of handling stress and other problems. You become more self-aware. You focus on the here and now — not on your ever-growing to-do list.

How to Choose a Meditation Technique

Every individual is different from another. So, the master is like a scientist who invents new methods for the particular need of the subject. There cannot be just one method sufficient for all human beings. To flush out repressions and pressures of the mind such methods are required which bring catharsis. Until all the emotional baggage is unloaded and the fog cleared from the mind it will be difficult to move into meditation.

Mantra based meditations are best suited for amateurs Two meditation techniques are most commonly used: concentrative and mindful.

Concentrative Meditation

Concentrative Meditation, such as transcendental meditation (TM), focuses on a single image, sound, or mantra (words spoken or sung in a pattern), or on your own breathing. Mindful Meditation, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), does not focus on a single purpose; rather, you are aware of all thoughts, feelings, sounds, or images that pass through your mind. Do not let the thought of meditating the “right” way add to your stress check the list below, you are sure to find one that resonates with you and you can certainly attend special meditation centers or group classes led by trained instructors to practice such forms of meditation as:

Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental Meditation: Transcendental Meditation (TM) is an ancient Vedic practice introduced to the West by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The popular method (millions worldwide have learned the technique) follows a specific, trademarked program in which meditators silently repeat a mantra – a word or phrase provided by the teacher – in order to clear the mind and achieve a state of restful alertness.

Primordial Sound Meditation

Primordial Sound Meditation: Popularized by Deepak Chopra, this style of meditation does not require specific beliefs or a change in lifestyle. When you learn Primordial Sound Meditation, you will receive a personal mantra. A mantra is a specific sound or vibration, which when repeated silently, helps you to enter deeper levels of awareness. A Sanskrit term that translates as “vehicle of the mind”, a mantra truly is a vehicle that takes you into quieter, more peaceful levels of the mind. The mantra you will receive is the vibration the universe was created at the time and place of your birth, and it is calculated following Vedic mathematic formulas. When you silently repeat your mantra in meditation, it creates a vibration that helps you slip into space between your thoughts, into the complete silence that is sometimes referred to as “the gap”. Your mind is no longer caught up in its noisy internal chatter and is instead exposed to its own deepest nature: pure awareness.

Technology Induced Meditation

Technology Induced Meditation: New on the scene, this form of “instant” meditation uses ‘mind machine” brain wave entrainment technologies.

Relaxation Response

Relaxation Response: Herbert Benson, MD, first wrote about the physiological effects of relaxation-response meditation in his book The Relaxation Response (William Morrow, 1975). To elicit a relaxation response, meditators select a positive, calming word or phrase rooted in their belief system and repeat it silently to themselves while sitting in a quiet, comfortable environment. Examples include “one” or “peace,” or (if they prefer) a part of a prayer, like “The Lord is my shepherd

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness Meditation: This technique focuses on creating awareness of the present moment by paying nonjudgmental attention to the breath, body, and changing perceptions as they enter the mind. The technique is taught in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs, which were originally devised by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., founder of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School

Walking Meditation

Walking Meditation: All great world religions, such as Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, have traditionally practiced walking meditation. In today’s retreat centers and spas, walking meditation focuses on the breath and involves silent mental and sensual contemplation of the body in time and space. It may also incorporate the repetition of mantras, affirmations, or visualizations. You need never walk alone: walking meditation is a calming and bonding way to spend quality time with friends or family.

Shakti Meditation

Shakti Meditation: The Indian Tantric and Hindu philosophies hold that Shakti is the Great Mother Goddess or the source of all life. A feminine, super-nurturing force, Shakti is the source of the movement of prana or life energy that you live and breathe. Because most of us live mostly in our thoughts rather than in our bodies, many of us feel like we need nurturing. Shakti meditation is a healing solution.

Yoga

Yoga: Practiced for more than 5,000 years in India, yoga has evolved into many forms, but meditations typically use breathing techniques, mantras and physical exercises to give the body strength and flexibility needed to achieve proper concentration.

Activity-Oriented Meditation Techniques

Activity-Oriented Meditation Techniques: With this type of meditation, you engage in a repetitive activity or one where you can get ‘in the zone’ and experience ‘flow.’ Again, this quiets the mind and allows your brain to shift. Activities like gardening, creating artwork, or practicing yoga can all be effective forms of meditation. Tai chi: Tai chi, in fact, is often described as “meditation in motion” because it promotes serenity through gentle movements — connecting the mind and body.

Guided Meditation

Guided Meditation: The success of Imagery (i.e. visualization, meditation, guided imagery) stems from the truth that images and beliefs that we “create” in our minds are just as powerful whether they are real or imagined. The subconscious doesn’t know the difference between what is real or what is not. It simply creates your reality based on the thought and image that your visualize. When we tap into this powerful resource by the power of visualization. It sends an image to the subconscious mind to create things that we want and need in life. Qi Gong: A traditional Chinese medicine practice using meditation, precise physical movement, and deep breathing exercises to direct the body’s flow of energy, similar to tai chi, except the moves have no fighting application.

Spiritual Meditating

Spiritual Meditating: Meditation can also be a spiritual practice. Many people experience meditation as a form of prayer — the form where God ‘speaks,’ rather than just listening. That’s right; many people experience ‘guidance’ or inner wisdom once the mind is quiet, and meditate for this purpose. You can meditate on a singular question until an answer comes (though some would say this is engaging your thinking mind too much), or meditate to clear their mind and accept whatever comes that day. But you can also practice meditation easily on your own. You can find everyday opportunities to meditate wherever you happen to be. You can also make meditation as formal or informal as you like — whatever suits your lifestyle and situation. Some people build meditation into their daily routine. For example, they may start and end each day with an hour of meditation. If you’re short on time, all you really need is a few minutes. While there are many different ways to meditate, the goal is the same — inner peace.

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